NEAT WAY TO GROW NATURAL GOURDS

[Guest]

Seed can be purchased from J. W. Jung Seed Company, catalog page # 47, 2006 spring catalog. Product #02326 bird House Martinhouse Gourds.

Here is a simplified Gourds I course.

Find an apple tree that is available, to play with. At the drip line dig a hole about three feet, in diameter and about ten, to twelve inches deep. If in the fall throw in five gallons, of fresh manure and as many leaves as your tiller will chew in and then place a cover crop, of rye grass. If no rye grass place a three inch leaf mulch.

In the spring start gourds inside, in an 80 degree germination box. My germination box is a camping cooler sitting, on a household type heating pad. Works on low, for me. Use the upright approximately one gallon ice cream boxes turned into pots. Fill with starting soil dry damp only. The germination should take no more than five days and may show emergence, in three days. Place, in growing spot protected, by a temporary cold frame if, in the northeast.

Place half a cup of good organic fertilizer, in your planting hole, give it a drink, of manure tea, mulch with compost and leaves, hay or straw and step back.

By the time the transplant is ready, to start climbing, erect a piece, of chicken wire between your planting hole and the drip line limbs, of the apple tree. Any tree will work. Old apple trees are abundant here.

Keep the planting area damp not soggy all summer. Remove all secondary growth and flowers, on the vine until it takes off up and over the tree. Once this happens, grab your camera, step back and enjoy the wildest grow you may have ever seen.

Oh.....almost forgot. A single vine treated this way will cover most old thirty to forty foot apple trees and get the grower a dozen or more gourds. If more gourds are desired use two starting holes.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

docgipe, Now that sounds like an excellent plan to get the early start.

I thought I would reply because I started 2 pots of gourd seeds on the 27th of Dec, and two gourds are up in one of the pots. I have them in the greenhouse, it has been so warm here, they came up before I thought they would. I have them in a 3 gallon upside down pot, sitting on some black plastic, the plastic covers the plywood platform. I fill the pot full of garden soil. The bottom is cut off of the upside down pot. When I plant them I dig the hole, turn the pot on its side and take off the black plastic, and set it into the hole. Since the pot is upside down, it comes off real easy without disturbing the roots.

I usually plant mine in the garden, they cover the entire garden near the end of the season, so I know they will cover your apple trees.

Good luck on yours this year

[Guest]

Here is a picture taken, by a friend, of mine. We call this his Eagle Gourd Tree. Look closely you may see that there are three vines that were led up into this apple tree. His production was, in excess, of thirty gourds.

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

An interesting looking apple tree! I suppose a lot of people wondered what it was........

[Adam Romain]

I'm just curious to know what's under the tarp???

[CraigMo.]

I bet under that tarp is a gigantic pumpkin

[Donnie Hurdt MN]

That tree looks like it has been overun with kudzu, you people down south know what that is.

[RC Moser]

Neat, Neat, Neat!!!!!! Question does the donor tree have to be apple? I only have one apple tree and I get quite a few apples off it or does the gourds effect apple production??? Also, I fight the squirrels for apples and pears, will they munch on the gourds??? I have several Blackjack oaks that are available (beings I haven't had my chain saw out lately) would they make a good parasite tree????

[Guest]

How often do the gourds get too heavy and fall before they are ready?

[Guest]

ANSWERS TO SEVERAL QUESTIONS:

If the gourds, on any rack or tree are not fed, to much nitrogen, few will ever drop. The thickness, of the shell will be improved. To much nitrogen causes fast and incomplete unbalanced growth. I have fifty mile an hour winds.

The hiding fruit, under the sun shade, is an American Giant Pumpkin as seen, in August. It grew on and on and on, to October, to become a new world record, for my buddy, Larry Checkon. Location was Spangler, Pa. The weight was recorded and registered at 1469 pounds. He missed his personal goal, of 1500 pounds and more.

Any tree perhaps other than a black walnut would be fine to use as a support, for gourd vines. Black walnuts put out a growth inhibitor which may effect gourds.

Nobody bothered them, in the tree. The chipmunks and squirrels can spot a drying seed a mile away. Mice may go, for gourd, by chewing their way in too.

[CraigMo.]

Hey Docgipe, the only reason I thought it was a pumpkin cause I watched a pumpkin contest on tv recently. But I don't think it was from your state.

[Fred Kaluza~MI]

Dang that photo is downright scary! Looks like a science fiction scene! I wonder what you'd get if you had a Sequoia in your yard?

[Guest]

Fred.......Dig a mother load hole and doctor it up as I suggested earlier. Plant, on the Southeast side and step back. Give it a weekly or more frequent cup, of compost tea, while keeping the area, of root expansion damp will blow your mind.

To your question......buy six pints, of bright colored paint and let them hang as a naturally decorated Christmas tree. God knows your ladder may not be long enough, to go for the top third anyway.

[John & Linda - KY]

I wonder what you'd get if you had a Sequoia in your yard?

You'd get gourds that would just have to stay in the tree if they were waiting for me to climb that high to pick them. -- John

[Guest]

Fred.......Dig a mother load hole and doctor it up as I suggested earlier. Plant, on the Southeast side and step back. Give it a weekly or more frequent cup, of compost tea, while keeping the area, of root expansion damp will blow your mind.

Place half a cup of good organic fertilizer, in your planting hole, give it a drink, of manure tea, mulch with compost and leaves, hay or straw and step back.

Ok, I'll show my ignorance what is "manure tea" and "compost tea"? And what should one use if they do not have organic fertilizer? And finally, if you don't have a hole preped last fall, what is the best way to prep a hole in the spring right before planting?

[Guest]

OOPS! Grow the gourds as you would grow beans using your methods, of growing. I do not think I can or should attempt, to answer a "how to" on manure tea or compost tea here. However I will handle organic gardening questions, by referral, to a gardening site, if you E mail me, for help.